Thursday, October 11

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 122 & 48; Micah 3:9-4:5; Luke 17:1-10; Romans 5:6-11

It is so easy these days to theologically construct a God that looks and acts just like us. And if you are not careful, you can pick up on theological streams in the scriptures to justify that practice – for instance, constructing a God that will like us if we like him; and reject us if we reject him. Needless to say, I’m always bowled over when I run into those pieces of Scripture that challenge those notions by presenting a God that looks nothing like us. I found two glimpses of that in today’s reading. The first glimpse came from Micah 4:3. In speaking of the last days – days when most would expect a sort of cosmic playing out of human agendas (i.e. you messed with me, now you’re gonna get yours) – the prophet presents an image that goes against this approach. He presents a culminating image of God who motivates humanity to “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore”. What a curveball. The second glimpse I got of a God that looks nothing like us comes from Romans 5:6, 8. Using human standards, God’s timing was really off because “when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… But God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While some may take pleasure in a God that acts predictably by human standards, today’s scriptures reminded me that I find great encouragement through my faith in a God who often acts nothing like us. Til next time…